Joseph hoffman



(R0 ModeL I Q J. HOFFMAN.

RUBBER HOLDER FORPENQILS.

N0. 376-;196. Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

. ATTORNEY} UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcrr.

JOSEPH HOFFMAN, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GUSTAVUS A.GOLDSMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RUBBER-HOLDER FOR PENCiLS.

SPECIPICA TION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,196, dated January10, 1888.

Serial No. 231,649. (X0 model.)

' tion.

My invention consists in improvements in point-protectors anderaser-holders for pencils, being adapted also to other uses, ashereinafter stated.

In the drawings the same referenceletters illustrate the same parts inall the figures.

Figure l illustratesaplan of theiuvention as applied to a pencil. Fig. 2illustrates a longitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 3 illustratesa longitudinal section of the invention, showing the parts detached.Fig. 4 illustrates a view of the rubber-gripping device with the bentpart which connects the two jaws-of the-gripper presented forwardly.Fig. 5 illustrates my invention as applied to uses other than inconnection with pencils.

A is the pencil.

B is a tube, preferably split at O, as usual, whereby it is renderedexpansible'and elastic, the betterto hug on the pencil, and is alsoadapted to be used on pencils of different sizes. I prefer to form a ribor knurl at the upper part of the tube (seen at D) for the purposes ofornamentation.

E'is the eraser-holder.. It is blanked out from sheet metal, and haspreferably a contracted part at a, which forms a spring-connectionbetween the two halves of the holder, and teeth on the edges b. Thisblank is bent up, as seen inFigs. 2, 3, and 4., and the parts b, havingthe toothed edges, and also the plain parts 0 adjacent to them, aregiven a substantiallyhalf-tubular form, so that the part adjacent to thetoothed part shall, when bent together, form a substantially cylindricalportion adapted to fit in'the end of the tube B. The spring connectingpart' a, as shown, is bent flatwise of the metal, so that the two jawsof the holder will automatically spring apart when they are releasedfrom the tube B, or may be readily spread apart with the fingers. Theupper parts, I), of the holder, which contain the teeth, are of aboutthe same width as the lower parts, 0, which form the cylindrical portionof said holder, and in said upper parts a space or recess is formed,which is substantially rectangular in shape in vertical section andlarger than the tapering or Vshaped space formed in said lower partsbetween their closely-approaching edges, so that there may be greaterspace between said upper parts of the holder for receiving thelaterally-extending block of erasive material than between said lowerparts, where such increased space is not needed. \Vithout this enlargedrectangular space between the upper parts of the holder a block oflaterally-extending rubber of the form shown in the drawings could notbe held by all parts of the jaws and securely retained in workingposition.

In farming the eraser or rubber holder the lower or cylindrical parts,0, and the upper or toothed parts, I), are constructed of substantiallythe same length, the lower half orparts, a, being adapted or constructedto fit wholly within the tube 13, while the upper half or parts, 1),project wholly above said tube and form the clamping-jaws for therubber.

Intermediate of the upper and lower parts of the holder is formed anenlargement or shoulder, d, which, when said holder is in operativeposit-ion, rests upon the upper end of the tube B and prevents the upperhalf of said holder from entering said tube. Thus the parts of theholder constituting the jaws which grasp the rubber or eraser are abovesaid shoulder and entirely outside of the end of said tube, thusenabling them to grasp and hold an eraser or rubber which is flat and ofgreater width than the holder, and which projects laterally beyond saidjaws and entirely outside of the tube which i-ncloses .the lower half ofthe holder.

F represents the erasive material or rubber.

The operation is obvious. The rubberholder is removed from the tube B,and there- ICO and pressed into the rubber, and it is firmly held inplace by the tube 13, the rubber projecting laterally beyond said tube.\Vhen desired, another piece of rubber can be readily substituted for aworn-out piece by removing the holder from the tube B and exchanging onepiece of rubber for the other in the jaws. It is obvious that the tubeB, instead of being a pointproteeting tube, may be a section of tubingrigidly attached to the back end ofthe pencil; also, that the device maybe used without the teeth 0,- but I prefer them.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate another use of my invention, thesaid figureillustrating a combined eraser and brush holder. In this figure,G is asection of tube, and E E are the two holders, one at eitherend thereof,one holdingapiece of rubber, the same as in the case of the pencil, andthe other holding a brush. My inx'cntion is applicable to a number ofuses similar to those herein illustrated.

Having described my invention, I claim' 1. The combination of a tube, B,and a holder, E, consisting of clamping-jaws united by a flat-springconnection, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a tube, 13, and a holder, E, the latter beingformed with lower cylindrical parts, 0, and upper toothed parts or jaws,b, of substantially the same length, and with a shoulder, d, beneathsaid upper toothed parts, said lower parts being adapted or constructedto enter and be contracted by said tube, and said upper toothed parts toproject above said shoulder and entirely outside of said tube and formthe clamping-jaws for a laterally-projecting rubber, which is alsoarranged entirely outside of said tube, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a tube, 13, and a holder, E, the latter beingformed with lower cylindrical parts, 0, and upper toothed parts or jaws,b, of substantially the same length, with a shoulder, d, beneath saidupper toothed parts, with a V-shaped space or recess between said lowerparts, and with a rectangularly-shapcd recess between said upper parts,said lower parts being adapted or constructed to enter and be contractedby said tube, and the upper toothed parts to project wholly above saidtube and form the clamping-jaws for a laterally-projecting rubber whichis arranged entirely outside of said tube, substantially as described.

4-. The combination of a tube, B, and a holder, E, provided withclampingjaws arranged entirely outside of the tube 13, and withsubstantially cylindrical surfaces below thejaws and united by aflat-spring connect ing-piece, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the tube B, open at both ends, and the holders E,formed of cylindrical parts 0 and toothed parts or clampingjaws b ofsubstantially the same length, and

the fiat spring a, connecting the ends of said cylindrical parts,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 12th day of March, A. D. 1887-.

J OSEPII HOFFMAN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN H. lvns, Gnonon A. Voss.

